Two Bit Monsters
1980 studio album by John Hiatt
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Two Bit Monsters is singer-songwriter John Hiatt's fourth album, released in June 1980. It was his second of two albums with MCA Records.[1] It failed to chart, and MCA dropped Hiatt. "It Hasn't Happened Yet" would be a minor country hit for Rosanne Cash, from her album Somewhere in the Stars. Cash also covered "Pink Bedroom", on Rhythm & Romance.
| Two Bit Monsters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1980 | |||
| Studio | International Automated Media, Irvine, California; Kitchen Sync Studios, Hollywood; Crystal Sound, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 34:43 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Denny Bruce, John Hiatt | |||
| John Hiatt chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 Album cover from Slug Line/Two Bit Monsters combo CD | ||||
| Singles from Two Bit Monsters | ||||
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Release
Two Bit Monsters was released by MCA Records in June 1980.[1][2][3] "I Spy (For the F.B.I.)" was released as a single,[4][5] with "Good Girl, Bad World" as the B-Side.[6] "Back to the War", c/w "Pink Bedroom",[7][8] and "Back to Normal" were also released as singles.[9] The album failed to chart everywhere but Sweden, where it peaked at No. 41 on the Sverigetopplistan chart.[10]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Cash Box | (unrated)[12] |
| Robert Christgau | B[13] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[14] |
The Boston Globe wrote that "Hiatt's effort is strong, angry, and intelligent... He is not content to sneer, rather, Hiatt is one to ridicule and condemn."[15] Billboard wrote that the album "takes him [Hiatt] from the folk rock genre to the world of pop rock."[16]
Track listing
All tracks are written by John Hiatt, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Back to Normal" | 3:18 | |
| 2. | "Down in Front" | 3:22 | |
| 3. | "I Spy (For the F.B.I.)" | Richard "Popcorn" Wylie, Herman Kelley | 2:41 |
| 4. | "Pink Bedroom" | 2:53 | |
| 5. | "Good Girl, Bad World" | 3:14 | |
| 6. | "Face the Nation" | 3:07 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cop Party" | 2:54 |
| 2. | "Back to the War" | 3:28 |
| 3. | "It Hasn't Happened Yet" | 3:22 |
| 4. | "String Pull Job" | 3:22 |
| 5. | "New Numbers" | 3:02 |
| Total length: | 34:43 | |
Personnel
- John Hiatt – guitar, vocals
- Howard Epstein – bass guitar, background vocals
- Shane Keister – keyboards, organ, piano
- Darrell Verdusco – drums, background vocals
- Technical
- Denny Bruce – producer
- Mark Howlett – recording, mixing
- John Van Hamersveld – photography, design
